DC fans are fortunate to have a plethora of animated series to dive into, from Batman: The Animated Series to Justice League Unlimited and dozens of other programs. Best of all, they’re even creating some more age-themed content to bring younger generations into the fandom, and we love that. However, there’s no denying that one DC cartoon will forever earn the underrated title, and there are a few reasons for that. There was this strange window of time when the DC Universe streaming service was still up and running, but they were getting ready to transition to HBO Max. Any show that popped up during that time ran the risk of getting lost in the confusion.
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While DC’s Harley Quinn didn’t necessarily get lost in the shuffle, the disarray didn’t do the show any favors. Harley Quinn is a darker superhero comedy following the iconic (and often chaotic) Harley Quinn. It stars Kaley Cuoco (Harley) and Lake Bell (Poison Ivy), while featuring Alan Tudyk (Joker/Clayface and other voices), Ron Funches (King Shark), Tony Hale (Doctor Psycho), and Jason Alexander (Sy Borgman). The story itself kicks off with Harley coming to terms with who she is as an individual, and not half of a couple. This led her to many adventures, including an attempt to become a supervillain in her own right.
Harley Quinn‘s Unfortunate Adventures On Streaming Services
Harley Quinn first launched in November 2019 on DC Universe. To put it another way, it launched on a struggling platform, and while the show was amazing, it wasn’t enough to tempt new people to sign up for the platform; thus, the struggle continued. By the end of 2020, it was clear that DC Universe wasn’t going to last, so Warner Bros. began shifting content over to HBO Max.
Harley Quinn, now with two seasons, was one of many DC shows that got ported over to HBO Max. If that was the end of the confusion, we could live with that. However, executives were likely busy dealing with all the behind-the-scenes work that comes with such a change, so they didn’t prioritize advertising Harley Quinn. We’re not going to say that this problem was exclusive to Harley Quinn, as all the ongoing shows seemed to be equally neglected during this time.
In 2023, Warner Bros. announced that HBO Max was getting a complete overhaul, including a rebranded title: Max. They were dropping the HBO bit, probably to make the streaming service look more streamlined (maybe more like Netflix?). This caused endless amounts of confusion, and not just about DC products. The confusion further hurt Harley Quinn and its contemporaries, because that’s what they needed (please note the sarcasm).
Of course, we all know what happened next. The executives behind this big decision listened and fixed their mistakes (hooray!), at least as far as the name was concerned. They brought the “HBO” back to HBO Max, and things felt right again with the world.
DC Drama & Beyond
The trials and tribulations don’t end there, as DC has simultaneously been undergoing changes and restructuring. Some of these changes have been for the better, and we’re not going to deny it. That said, plenty of DC changes were a disservice to the fans and the creators behind specific content, such as how Batgirl was scrapped so close to completion. Harley Quinn managed to survive any concerns about its cancellation and even earned a spinoff (Kite Man: Hell Yeah!), but fans spent more than a few months biting their nails in worry.
Storytelling Shines Through Against All Odds
At the end of the day, Harley Quinn had everything going against it. It launched on a doomed platform (RIP DC Universe), survived a corporate merger, and even branding shenanigans. While we can’t definitively say Harley Quinn came out on top, the show found a different way to survive and thrive.
Harley Quinn has been a breath of fresh air. It’s snappy and witty, completely self-aware of what it is and where it sits in superhero lore. Harley’s chaotic and energetic adventures are heartfelt, messy, and human. Her story is all about self-discovery and self-worth, and that’s hard not to love. The fact that she has a strong secondary cast to support her is icing on the cake. Finally, let us not forget the romantic plot, as the show allowed Harley and Ivy’s relationship to progress in a way that felt heartfelt. Overall, Harley Quinn has been an absolute triumph, and the fact that it overcame all these odds makes it even more impressive. For this reason, we will always declare that Harley Quinn is an underrated DC series.
Harley Quinn is available to stream on HBO Max.
